The Adventurer's Spark
by bukluvr3
Summary: How does a sorceress gain her power? Why would one trained in the mystic arts decide to learn to wield weapons alongside her magic? How does one who grew up in a privileged environment react when everything is taken away? These are all questions Sorelia must answer before reaching her 17th year. This is her story of how she discovered her answers.
1. A New Era

A/N:

First off, I want to apologize for my lack of writing skills. As I said in my profile, I'm more of a reader than a writer. In any case, my fictional writing skills are somewhat lacking.

This whole this started out as an outline for my character's backstory for a DnD session based off of the original legends of King Arthur and The tv series Merlin.

I began to write out the backstory in to get more into character, so that outline evolved into a short story. Then work was slow on some days. I began to write out dialogue to keep myself alert and soon my short story turned into this monstrosity that keeps evolving. I decided to post it here after realizing that I had reached 44 pages on my Word document.

Without further ado, I don't own DnD or Merlin (is this disclaimer even necessary or is it just a FF tradition? I'm honestly curious because I don't remember seeing anywhere on FF stating that disclaimers were necessary and yet everyone does them).

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"Captain Darian has surrendered! Camelot has been reclaimed!"

Shouts filled the lower town and the citadel, celebrating the end of King Brutus II and his tyrannical reign. The townsfolk who had stayed behind began leaving the safety of their homes. Upon seeing the soldiers of their former king surrendering, hope began to fill them. Long have the citizens of Camelot lived under the mercy of these men who would often exploit their status as members of the royal army to push around those they had supposedly sworn to protect.

Within these celebrations, a few of the men and women looked towards the citadel in fear. It was true that a tyrant had just been dethroned, but who could say whether their new king would truly be any different. Upon one of the higher towers facing the lower town stood a group of men, few of whom had reached their thirtieth summer. These young men made up part of the core of this rebellion. With the war over, many of these men joined in the celebrations. All were laughing and congratulating one another on a job well done, all except two.

Slightly separate from the others, these two men looked out on Camelot with solemn faces and relief in their eyes. Both men were younger than most of the men who participated in taking back Camelot, yet they were also the two who had begun this entire campaign. The older of the two had only recently reached his twenty-first summer. Despite his youth, his physic revealed that this man was not one to underestimate. A trained eye could tell that, although this man was more accustomed to working with a plow, he was extremely skilled with the blade. Standing over six feet tall and clad in heavy chainmail and armor, he posed a formidable sight.

The younger man did not appear to belong in battle. At first glance, he did not give off a warrior's presence like his friend. He was young, only few months shy of reaching his twentieth year, and stood two inches shy of six feet with no armor. Despite this, one could not help but feel that there was more to this man after looking him in the eye. Although normally filled with mirth, there was a certain depth to them that hinted at some hidden power.

Both of these stood away from the rest of the men, looking out over Camelot with relief and a burning hope in their eyes. It was these two men who began the fight to free Camelot from King Brutus II. They had suffered much to achieve this victory and were ready to begin the healing process that always followed war.

The one standing on the right leaned forward onto the stone railing in front of him, causing the slighter older man standing next to him to shift his attention.

"This is the end of the beginning."

"Hm? What do you mean by that?" asked the older man confused by his friend's words. "This feels like the beginning of a new era more than anything."

"That as well, but this is also the end of our old lives, our beginnings if you will. Our lives will never be the same after today," was the younger man's wistful reply.

The other man sighed. "They haven't been for some time now, not since we discovered our destiny that day."

"You're right. It's hard to believe that it has only been three years since you pulled Excalibur from the stone."

The other man hummed his agreement.

"By the way, did you ever find out how Excalibur ended up in Stonehenge? I still find it hard to believe that a sword from Avalon just appeared in that stone."

The younger man stared at his friend, incredulous. "Is it really all that hard to believe?"

His friend stared back, knowing that his friend was deflecting the question.

The younger man threw up his arms in exasperation. "Do you really believe I have had the time to look into it or even ask around about it?! Unless you have forgotten, we have been fighting a war which we just barely won not an hour ago."

The older man continued staring at his friend, unimpressed with his excuse. "You were just as curious as I was, if not more so. And, unlike me, you seem to have this inability to ignore anything that peaks your interest."

The younger man raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Alright, alright! You're right, I did figure it out. But, I am not telling you anything until you get that crown on your head," he said while pointing at his friend's head.

The older man's face grimaced. "Don't remind me."

"Oi! No complaining! You insisted on taking back Camelot now…"

"And I didn't hear you complaining about that," the older man interrupted, "or the fact that you were coming with me on my quest to take back Camelot. Besides, I am not complaining. Just…reluctant to place myself above Camelot's citizens."

The younger man looked at his childhood friend. He could see now the weight that this burden was placing on him. His eyes softened with empathy, understanding somewhat the burden given to those with great power. "That is the role a king must take, but you will not be alone."

"How can I place myself above them?" continued the man, not even registering what his friend had said. "I was one of them once. Just a farmer whose only worries were to care for the land. Now I am expected to worry over and care for an entire people, an entire nation."

"You did well caring for your family's farm on your own while your father was ill. You can apply those same principles with your citizens."

"These are not crops or cattle we are speaking of, Merlin! They are real people with hopes and dreams, fears and trials. Am I capable or even worthy of leading them? I just..." he trailed off.

"Yes. Without a doubt." was Merlin's immediate response.

"How can you be so sure?" his friend asked, almost pleading for confirmation that what he was doing was the right thing.

"Because I know you, Arthur. I know your heart. You care for these people, your people. Look at what you have accomplished already. Camelot was a kingdom oppressed under a tyrant's rule. Fear permeated this kingdom, fear of bandits who ran unchecked throughout the land and of King Brutus' own men. You have given this land hope again. Already there have been reports of bandits fleeing Camelot because they know that it is only a matter of time before you drive them out by force. Camelot has also become more united. Look at your men. They come from different parts of Camelot. Some have even come from foreign lands to serve you. They trust you and are loyal to you. Why? Not because of some birthright to the throne, but because they believe in you and in the great kingdom you will raise from the ground. They know they have your trust and respect in return. You see Arthur, you are already a king in mind and heart. A crown is just a piece of metal. What truly makes a king is what is inside."

"Since when did you become so wise?" Arthur asked, eyes reddening ever so slightly.

Knowing what his friend was trying to do, Merlin pretended to be insulted. "You wound me Arthur! I have always been wise. You were just too dense to have noticed until now."

"Oi! I am not dense!" Arthur exclaimed with mock hurt before putting on a pensive face. "Then again, anyone would have trouble noticing your supposed wisdom when you constantly trip over air. How is that even possible?"

"That was one time! And you promised to never bring that up again!" Merlin exclaimed with a pout.

Arthur laughed at his friend's expense before ruffling Merlin's hair, causing Merlin to grumble before he too began laughing. The atmosphere quickly became sober between the two.

"But seriously Merlin, thank you."

"No problem Arthur," was Merlin's solemn reply before a cheeky smile appeared on his face. "Or should I call you 'Sire' from now on."

"Just Arthur, idiot," was Arthur's response before he pulled Merlin into a headlock and twisted his fist into Merlin's skull.

"Akk! Arthur! Let me go! I will shock you if you don't!"

Arthur quickly let go, knowing that Merlin would have no qualms following through with his threat. Merlin rubbed his head, glaring at Arthur. "Prat."

"Clutz."

"Dollop-head."

"I take back my statement about you being wise!" exclaimed Arthur, throwing his arms up in disbelief. "Where did you pull out that word? It's not even a proper word!"

"Shut up! It is too a word."

"Oh yeah, then what does it mean?" Arthur asked with his arms crossed and a skeptical look in his eyes.

Merlin paused for a moment, eyes darting back and forth before exclaiming "… King Arthur!" and running off the balcony and into the castle halls.

"Oi! Merlin! Get back here!" Arthur yelled before chasing after his lanky friend. "I'm not even the king yet!"

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Constrictive criticism and reviews are welcomed!


	2. Parting

A/N: I wasn't kidding when I said that this story keeps evolving. This chapter literally sprang into existence this last week. I'm just lucky Spring Break exists otherwise I wouldn't have posted this chapter today.

I was planning uploading every week, but with school picking back up with more assignments and projects that may not happen. I will attempted every other week at least since I have most of the chapters pretty much written out unless another chapter springs up.

Again, I don't own Merlin, DnD, the Legends of King Arthur, or anything else referenced in this story.

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Merlin found himself walking towards the throne room in his travel gear one morning. King Arthur's retaking and renewing of Camelot had been surprisingly smooth. Within a few months, many of the nobles in Camelot had sworn fealty to their new king. Only a few decided to fight against him, all of whom were quickly dealt with.

"Perfect timing," Merlin mused as he approached the throne room. The lords of Camelot were beginning to exit the doors, signaling the conclusion of the royal council.

Lord Isildor, Camelot's Court Sorcerer, approached Merlin and pulled him into a quick, tight hug which caused Merlin to release a surprised breath. Despite approaching his 74th year, Isildor still had some strength in him.

"You are leaving," he stated, voice tinged with a hint of sadness.

"Only for a few years Grandfather. Before you know it, I'll be back to pester you again!"

Isildor gave Merlin a pointed look. "And hopefully accept a position in the court."

Merlin looked away briefly before looking back at his grandfather.

"You know why I asked Arthur to appoint you as Court Sorcerer. I'm not ready for that kind of authority yet. I need to further my studies and studying under Iseldir Feldspar is the best way for me to do so. You and Father have taught me so much already, but I know there is more out there. If I am to truly fulfill my role as Court Sorcerer, I need to at least understand and be familiar with the different types of magic. Magic may be rare in these lands, but that does not give me the right to stay ignorant of its many different aspects."

Isildor clasped Merlin's shoulder, a proud smile spreading across his face. "You will go far in life with that mentality Merlin. I am proud of you and I know your father is proud of you as well."

"Thank you," was Merlin's soft reply. Despite his father having passed over two years ago, Merlin still felt the sting of loss whenever his father Balinor was mentioned.

Balinor had died protecting his son from an ambush by King Brutus and his men. King Brutus had sought the services of an experienced warlock to fight for him when he discovered that a part of Draco's bloodline had survived his grandfather's purge and was a part of the rebellion against him. Balinor was successful in defeating the warlock, but at the cost of his own life.

"Well, I should go speak with Arthur before I go."

"That's probably a good idea. We wouldn't want him to send a patrol after you just because you did not say farewell to your king," Isildor said with a chuckle. "Stay safe Merlin."

"I will Grandfather."

King Arthur was speaking with Lord Ector when Merlin entered the room. As he was facing the door, Lord Ector was the first to notice Merlin's entrance.

"Ah, the troublemaker has arrived," Lord Ector proclaimed, a smile spreading across his face.

Merlin placed his hand over his heart in an exaggerated show of pain. "You wound me with your words, Lord Ector! I am no troublemaker. Trouble just tends to follow me."

"Or you go looking for trouble," Arthur interjected with a laugh as he turned to face his friend.

"He's got you there Lord Merlin," Lord Ector said with a chuckle.

Merlin's smile gained a slight pinch to it at Lord Ector's words, which did not go unnoticed by Arthur.

Lord Ector turned to address Arthur. "I should go attend to my other duties. By your leave, Sire."

Arthur gave Lord Ector a nod. Once the doors closed, Arthur turned towards his friend, a slight frown on his face. "Are you alright?"

Merlin turned to his friend. "Of course I am! What makes you think anything is wrong?"

"Your smile became forced after something Lord Ector said." Merlin looked away just long enough to let Arthur know that his guess was correct. Merlin began to say something only to be interrupted by Arthur.

"Whatever comes out of your mouth had better be the truth, because I know something Lord Ector said bothered you."

Merlin clamped his mouth shut and stayed silent.

"It's because Lord Ector said 'Lord Merlin' isn't it?" Arthur stated after a few moments of silence. Merlin's continued silence and fidgeting answered for him. "You are going to have to get used to that soon you know."

Merlin released a resigned sigh. "I know. I just…" Merlin trailed off, attempting to find the words to explain to his friend his aversion to becoming a lord of Camelot.

"I guess I'm going through the same thing you were before you were crowned king. I have magic, which already sets me apart from everyone else. You remember when we still lived in Caerfryddin. Few boys would let me join in their games because they were scared of my magic. If they ever did, there was always tension between me and the other boys. That changed with our campaign against King Brutus. Sure, at first there was some wariness between me and the others, but that was quickly overcome as time passed. I guess... what I'm trying to say is that I already know how power can isolate someone and I don't want a high position to isolate me from everyone again."

"You have nothing to worry about, Merlin."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because, as you said, I have experienced what you described already. As king, I have been given power and position above everyone in Camelot. Despite this, few of our friends have treated me differently. Sure, everyone is more respectful during more formal settings, but that is only because they are following protocol. Otherwise, it is just like old times. I know you have witnessed Sir Kay mess with me since I became king. True friendships will not grow distant because someone's position changes."

Merlin looked noticeably relieved after Arthur's little speech. "Thank you, Arthur."

"No problem." Arthur gave Merlin a light punch on the arm. "Now stop acting like a girl. From your attire I take it that you are heading out to begin your magical studies."

"Yes! Now would you stop hitting me like that! I don't care how many times you and the knights say that you do it to cheer me up, it does not help me cheer up!" Merlin exclaimed while rubbing where Arthur had hit him. Although the punch didn't truly hurt him anymore, Merlin still acted as if it did.

"I'm pretty sure I have a permanent bruise there from all of the hitting," Merlin murmured.

"Maybe if you stopped acting like such a girl, we wouldn't feel the need to hit you." Arthur went to give Merlin another playful punch when he felt a sudden jolt of electricity go through his body.

"Akk! Merlin!"

"What?"

"You shocked me!"

"You were going to punch me again!"

"A friendly punch! I wasn't going to actually hurt you."

"Well I just gave you a friendly shock. I didn't actually hurt you."

The two friends glared at each other for a moment before Arthur suddenly swiped at Merlin. Merlin ducked under the swipe and, upon seeing the mischievous gleam in Arthur's eyes, bolted for the doors with Arthur at his heels.

The only warning anyone in the halls had was the pounding of feet and the occasional shout. All quickly moved out of the way or risk being knocked down to the ground. Many of the lords would huff and shake their heads in exasperation and fondness at their king's antics. The servants would laugh and quickly spread the latest chase between their king and resident sorcerer while the knights would often shout encouragements at them.

This chase didn't last very long. One of the newly hired servants, a boy only 16 years old, was unable to move aside quickly enough to avoid Merlin. Merlin attempted to dance around the servant to avoid knocking him over. He was able to avoid running into the startled boy but ended up on the floor after tripping over his own feet.

Arthur, who witnessed the entire event, began laughing heartily before approaching his disgruntled friend and the frightened servant. The young servant began to stutter.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't, I didn't know what w-was happening a-and I d-didn't…" Arthur raises his right hand, effectively cutting off the servant. At this time, Merlin lifted himself off the floor while rubbing the arm he fell on.

"You have nothing to apologize for. What is your name?"

Startled at a lord inquiring about something as mundane as his name, the servant hesitated before responding.

"Hallam my lord."

"Nothing was broken or twisted," Merlin muttered softly during the exchange between Arthur and Hallam. "Though I'm sure there will be a spectacular bruise by nightfall. I can put on…"

"Well, Mr. Hallam. I hope you can forgive this idiot for almost knocking you down." Merlin stopped his muttering at that last statement, finally tuning in to the conversation. "He loves running throughout the halls of Camelot even though he is quite clumsy…"

"Oi!" Merlin interjected.

Arthur continued as if Merlin didn't say a thing.

"And is constantly hurting himself." Hallam began to chuckle softly at the two men's antics. Merlin began speaking, his entire focus on Arthur.

"The only reason I ever run through the halls, Arthur, is because either you or one of the knights is chasing after me!" Merlin exclaimed with exasperation in his tone.

Hallam's eyes went wide and his smile fell when Merlin said Arthur's name. He had been conversing with the king of Camelot and he didn't address him properly!

Merlin didn't notice the servant's distress due to his focus being entirely on his friend, but Arthur did.

"Merlin, shut up." Merlin promptly shut his mouth at his friend's tense tone. Hallam's eyes grew even bigger at the widely known name of the king's best friend and the man he had been searching for.

Arthur gestured towards Hallam, causing Merlin to look at him.

"Oh," was all he could say when he saw the boy's expression.

Realizing that both of their attention was on him, Hallam quickly turned towards Arthur before bowing. Without rising, Hallam's mouth opened as words began spilling out of his mouth.

"Forgive me, King Arthur, for my ignorance. I did not recognize you or Lord Merlin and you both were so carefree and open like my friends and I forgot that I was supposed to find Lord Merlin and tell him that his horse was ready but I didn't and I-I'm sorry!"

Both Arthur's and Merlin's ears perked at Hallam's words. Before asking about his horse, Merlin slowly approached the boy and placed his left hand on Hallam's shoulder blade.

"You can rise now, Hallam. Arthur will not punish you for something he himself encourages." Hallam rose slowly back up. Pleased, Merlin smiled widely at the boy who returned a more subdued smile of his own. Arthur then spoke up.

"Merlin is right, Hallam. Outside of formal occasions, I encourage a more lighthearted atmosphere in my court. Just ask any of the older servants, they can attest to what I said. They will also be more than willing to describe in detail some of the knights' and Merlin's more notorious escapades," Arthur concluded with a smirk.

"And yours as well Arthur!" Merlin interjected.

Arthur and Merlin began laughing heartily, a few of those escapades running through their minds. Hallam soon joined in the contagious laughter.

When they finally calmed down, Merlin went to address Hallam.

"I understand that my horse is ready for me?" Merlin asked, slightly breathless from the laughter.

"He is, my lord." Merlin winced a bit at the title but plastered a smile on his face to hide it from the boy.

"Excellent. Could you tell Sandon thank you and that I will be there shortly?"

Sandon was the servant who oversaw all the horses cared for within the royal stables and took great pride in his work.

"Right away sir," Hallam replied with a slight bow. He immediately turned and began rushing down the hall towards the royal stables.

By mutual consent, Merlin and Arthur both began heading towards the stables at a more sedated pace.

It wasn't long before Arthur broke the comfortable silence that had fallen between them.

"Are you sure you won't reconsider and instead complete your studies here?"

"I'm sure Arthur. I may already know some magic, but there is so much more for me to learn. By studying under a master spell caster, I will learn more powerful spells along with other forms of magic and how they work, even if I cannot personally wield their form of magic."

Arthur and Merlin finally reached the main court, but Arthur was not finished speaking his mind.

"That seems like a lot to learn. Doesn't it normally take years to learn all of that?"

Merlin paused for a moment before answering.

"From what I remember, it does normally take the average magic user about ten years to master their lessons."

Arthur's face fell at that statement. That was a long time to be away from Camelot, from his friends and family.

"But," Merlin's voice interrupted Arthur's thoughts. "From what my grandfather said, it should only take me about five years to master my studies since I have already learned a lot about the theory of magic and its different forms during our campaign. That is, I won't be gone for more than five years so long as my studies are not interrupted." At that last statement, Merlin gave Arthur a pointed look very much like the one his grandfather had recently given him.

Arthur threw his hands in the air in a placating gesture as they reach the royal stables.

"Alright, fine. No interrupting your studies for anything," he conceded. "But you will be back in five years? No letting other supposedly interesting topics distract you and lengthen your studies?"

"I promise to not get distracted by other subjects, no matter how interesting they may be," Merlin affirmed, though his voice did carry a slightly sarcastic tone at the end of his statement.

Arthur gave him a skeptical look. Once he was sure that Merlin would follow through with his promise, Arthur went to clasp Merlin's shoulder. "Good luck Merlin."

Merlin returned the clasp. "Thank you, Arthur."

Merlin walked the rest of the way towards the stables while Arthur turned back towards the citadel. There was still much that needed to be done in order to return Camelot to its former glory.

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Please tell if I missed any mistakes.


	3. A Time of Magic

A/N:

I'm not sure how happy I am with this chapter, though I've come to realize dialogue comes so much easier than descriptions for me.

I don't own Merlin, King Arthur, Dungeons and Dragons, etc.

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Merlin knew that his magical training was different due to having grown up in a small village, but he didn't realize how sporadic it truly was until he began studying under Iseldir Feldspar.

Though Merlin had thoroughly mastered wielding his magic, it became blatantly obvious to Iseldir that he had had no formal training in understanding the nature of magic and all things rooted in it. Sure, he understood certain aspects of magic, but Iseldir knew that the kind of sporadic knowledge Merlin had only came from personal experience. How Merlin, a youth who hadn't even reached his twenty-first year, came to understand so much about dragons and magical traps from personal experience and survive? Iseldir was unsure whether he truly wanted to know the stories behind that. Besides, Iseldir didn't pry into his students' lives unless he felt it was absolutely necessary.

Because of Merlin's lack of a balanced magical education, despite his skill with wielding magic, Iseldir decided that Merlin needed to focus on studying magic and its many aspects.

Excited, Merlin dove into his magical studies. He gained more knowledge than he could ever have learned on his own. Since Iseldir focused on giving his students a solid foundation to build upon, Merlin only needed to master those core lessons before he could return to Camelot. Even then, it would take Merlin a few years before he could do so. There was so much to learn about the arcane arts, Merlin wondered if it was even possible for one to learn everything about them. At least he knew he would never be bored at Camelot.

When teaching his students about the nature of magic and all creatures and traditions founded in it, Iseldir would teach many of his students simultaneously. It was in these lessons that Merlin met Freya Feldspar, Iseldir's youngest daughter.

Ever since her father gave her permission to enter his personal library at the age of fourteen, Freya would constantly hide out in her father's library to read from the different tomes and scrolls Iseldir had collected over the years. At first, Freya could barely understand what she read. But as time progressed, Freya began to better comprehend the different works. Whenever she came across a new language, Freya would focus on learning that language until she could read it fluently. Upon reaching her sixteenth year, Freya Feldspar had decided that she wanted to pursue the life of a scholar and began attending her father's classes at his suggestion.

At the age of eighteen, Freya's passion for knowledge had only grown. It was this passion that caught Merlin's attention only two months after beginning his studies. Never before had he seen so much passion in someone for something outside of war. Curious, Merlin decided he wanted to get to know her better.

Whenever Iseldir had his students research certain topics on their own before the next class, Merlin sought out Freya's help. Though his main reason for asking her to help was to get to know her, Merlin did genuinely need help navigating the library. Growing up in a village and fighting in a war during his twenty years left Merlin with little knowledge on how to research different subjects in scrolls instead of through rumors and word of mouth, something which Freya quickly caught on to. She soon found herself as Merlin's tutor and guide in the library.

Freya's kind nature and passion for learning quickly captured Merlin's heart during the following months. Merlin knew he wanted her to be his wife. As he was technically a Lord of Camelot, Merlin decided to petition for Iseldir's blessing to court his daughter. Pleasantly surprised by his respect for the older traditions, Iseldir consented and gave Merlin his blessing to court his daughter.

It wasn't long before Freya also began to fall in love with Merlin. It was both exhilarating and terrifying for her, especially with the prejudice she had received from a few of her father's past students. At one point, a few of her father's more advanced students had discovered that her grandmother was a changeling, the offspring of hags.

Many people, especially common folk, viewed changelings as dark creatures and believed that any offspring inherited their dark nature. This was not true as changelings grew up away from their mother's influence. It was only those who heeded the call of their mother's that fell to darkness, transforming them into hags themselves. Freya's grandmother had resisted the call and instead created her own life.

Although she did not suffer much persecution due to her father, Freya had experienced enough throughout the years to know what many people believed. It hurt, but as her mother would say, "If they won't accept you as you are, then forget about them and move on. Let your father handle his other students for now."

Freya did not know how Merlin felt about changelings. She knew that she was starting to fall for him and was sure that Merlin loved her as well, but she did not know if knowing her heritage would change his feelings. Would he reject her? Would he hate her for the darkness flowing through her veins? Or would he accept her? Not wanting to fall further in love just to have her heart shatter, Freya decided to reveal her heritage to Merlin.

At Freya's request, Merlin and Freya went to a nearby clearing after Iseldir's lesson. They sat under a tree and began talking about trivial things. It wasn't long before Freya fell silent. Unused to her silence, Merlin looked at Freya in worry.

"What's wrong Freya?" Merlin asked, trying to look Freya in the eye. She turned her head away in shame and began to absently play with the grass.

"Merlin, there's something I need to tell you. I…I'm not completely human," she stuttered out.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked gently, confused at her words.

Still looking down, Freya sighed before answering Merlin.

"I have changeling blood from my mom's side of the family. My grandmother on my mother's side was a changeling and the daughter of a hag, a being of darkness. Some of that darkness runs through my veins, which means that I'm less than human."

"Oh…" was Merlin's intelligent response, finally understanding what she was saying. It sounded a lot like what he had first believed when he had first discovered that he was technically the descendant of a dragon.

Misunderstanding Merlin's lack of reaction for concealed anger, Freya squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to hold back her tears and began to ramble. "I thought I would tell you now before this thing between us continued any further in case you didn't want to see me anymore because of this, and I understand if you don't want to be around me after today." Despite her efforts, a few tears escaped down her cheeks.

"Why wouldn't I want to be around you anymore?" inquired a genuinely confused Merlin.

Hope beginning to fill her, Freya lifted her tear streaked face to look at Merlin.

"You're alright with this still, even with knowing that I'm a dark creature?"

"Oh Freya," Merlin whispered before reaching up to whip away another tear. "Of course I'm still alright with this!" Merlin softly, yet emphatically proclaimed. "And you are not a dark creature! Dark creatures are vicious creatures whose only desire is to cause mischief, mayhem, and death. You are not like that. You are kind, caring, compassionate, loving, determined, and beautiful inside and out, the complete opposite of dark." His declarations caused her to blush, encouraging his tongue. "I love you for who you are, Freya, not for what you are. Whatever blood may be flowing through your veins does not define you. And you don't need to worry about any odd attributes that may come from having changeling blood coursing through your veins. Whatever they may be is alright by me."

Trying to hide her embarrassment, Freya glanced at Merlin cheekily. "Even if that means I have claws for hands?" She said while raising her now morphed right claw.

Smiling impishly, Merlin morphed his own hand to his dragon claws.

"You're not the only one here with claws."

Freya's eyes grew wide at the sight of his dragon claw. Never in her life had she met another besides her older sisters who could do the same. Speechless, Freya just stared at Merlin. Understanding the unasked question, Merlin simply stated "Dragon's blood." Freya continued to stare at him, but this time with only a questioning gaze.

He continued, "One of my ancestors was saved by a dragon. She was on the brink of death with only a dragon nearby to help. Long story short, the dragon made a *healing potion out of his own dragon's blood diluted with water and had her ingest it. Don't ask me how the dragon got her to drink it because I don't know. What I do know is that the potion changed her blood and the blood of her unborn child in the process. Ever since then, my family has had dragon's blood flowing through our veins, granting us the ability to wield magic as easily as a knight can wield a sword."

"That's why my father proclaimed you a master at wielding magic without having you train under him!" she exclaimed in a mock-accusatory tone, morphing her hand back to normal in the process.

Merlin just smiled and spread his arms, hands also back to normal. "Guilty as charged!" he proclaimed, causing Freya to laugh at Merlin's ridiculousness.

Happy that he got her to smile, Merlin's smile became more serene. It wasn't too long before Freya calmed down, but Merlin could still see laughter in her eyes. When her eyes met his again, Merlin began to speak. "You see Freya, your mixed heritage does not change my feelings for you. I understand, Freya, and I love you just as you are."

"As do I, Merlin. Thank you, Merlin, for everything." Freya, giddy with Merlin's declaration and her own admission, pecked Merlin's cheek before going in for a hug. Merlin, for his part, just sat there for a moment before he registered the hug and returned it. They stayed in the clearing for a while longer, basking in the love that they felt from each other.

From that day forward, their relationship progressed quickly, though Merlin was still able to surprise Iseldir when he asked for his daughter's hand in marriage. Knowing how much Merlin made his daughter happy during the past year, he consented.

The marriage was a quiet affair to prevent any of Iseldir's more prejudiced students from interrupting what was supposed to be a happy union between two young souls. Though Merlin's family was able to make the trip to witness their marriage, he decided not to invite Arthur. Arthur was still a new king, and Merlin, along with his grandfather, did not believe it prudent for Arthur to leave the court of Camelot when he had only just begun solidifying his reign. Though any insurrections within Camelot may have been quickly dealt with, Arthur still needed to prove to the surrounding kingdoms that he could rule Camelot well despite his peasant upbringing.

Although Merlin was saddened that his best friend and king would not attend, he knew it was better to err on the side of caution. It didn't help that neither Merlin nor Freya wanted to wait any longer when they already knew that they loved each other dearly. Merlin did not want dishonor Freya in any way, especially since her father was his current mentor and a powerful wizard.

After the wedding, Iseldir gave Merlin and Freya their own private chambers in the upper level of his manor and allowed Merlin a month's reprieve from his studies to enjoy with his new wife, who had decided to quit attending classes. She had finished learning all she could from her father and now had to prepare herself to raise a family, something she had never considered would happen this soon in her life.

After this reprieve, Merlin dove back into his studies with renewed rigor. Thanks to Freya's tutelage outside of her father's classes and Merlin's personal experiences, Merlin had progressed far enough in his studies to complete them within the next year.

Merlin just barely finished his studies when his first son was born. In honor of Merlin's deceased father, he and Freya decided to name their child Balinor. With Merlin finished with his studies, it was time for him to return to Camelot and King Arthur. Within the next few months, they began the journey back to Camelot.

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*Desperate Dragon's Potion: Very rare and extremely dangerous. Can only be made from the blood of a dragon which was freely given. Must have the right balance of blood and some other substance (water in this case). Any imbalance in the potion will either cause the patient to have a high fever of kill the patient by burning them alive from the inside-out. If the person is healed, there will be side effects. Side effects range from having an increase craving for meat to gaining the attributes of a dragonborn. Only to be used as a last resort.


	4. Reunion

School work is starting to pile up and I can't promise to have the next chapter up until sometime mid-May. It doesn't help that I apparently lied and my supposedly already written backstory is more of a long summary which I'm having to expand and convert into story form. Oops.

I own nothing!

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Freya couldn't help the gasp when she first saw Camelot, almost letting go of Edelene's reins. She had read accounts of its grandeur and firsthand accounts from her husband, but nothing could have prepared her for the real thing. She turned towards her husband, who had paused to take Balinor off his back and lift him up to better see Camelot.

"This is your new home Balinor," Merlin murmured in his son's ear, the soft tickle of his breath causing the baby to giggle and clumsily swipe at his ear. Merlin chuckled at the squirming bundle in his arms.

"Well, someone sure is excited to see his new home."

"We both are," Freya said with a hint of humor in her voice. "Though I do believe it is you who is the most excited. After all, this is your home."

"True."

Careful of the child in his arms, Merlin shifted his pack into a hopefully more comfortable position. What had taken a day for Merlin on horseback now took many days for his family to traverse. Freya, for all her knowledge, did not know how to ride a horse. Though it did help in a way. Freya had brought all the books and scrolls she had studied and written notes in. It wasn't an entire library, but it would have been a hassle to travel with all those books without a separate mount to carry them. Merlin's horse, Edelene, ended up as a pack horse for a time.

Though Freya wanted to keep the bundled up Balinor with her, she was not strong enough to travel so long with a four-month-old child on her back. But she didn't want to just leave him tied up in Edelene's saddle. Call her paranoid, but that didn't seem as safe as bundling Balinor up in such a way that she could comfortably carry him for a time. Because of this, Merlin and Freya would trade off who would lead the horse and who would carry Balinor. Their son also created many delays during the return trip. He was a growing baby, and that meant multiple breaks from walking to allow Freya the chance to sit down and feed little Balinor.

"We should get going, we wouldn't want to stop just a short way away from Camelot's wall just because this little one got hungry and couldn't wait for his food," Merlin teased, tickling Balinor's tummy and making him squirm even more. Freya, with the horse following sedately behind her, walked up to Merlin before essentially shoving the reigns into his hand.

"I believe it is my turn to carry Balinor."

"Alright, I guess it is time to switch." Merlin gently shifted Balinor until he could better hand the baby and his cloth carrier to his mother. With Edelene's reigns firmly in hand, Merlin turned down the path that led to Camelot.

"Well, we shouldn't keep His Majesty waiting," he remarked before they began the final stretch to Camelot.

Just as they were passing Camelot's outer wall, Freya tilted her head towards Merlin.

"You did send King Arthur a message ahead of us stating that you were returning to Camelot, didn't you?" she whispered. Merlin's slight stumble and pursed lips was all the answer she needed.

"I guess this will be a surprise present for him," Merlin suggested while pulling slightly at his traveler's cloak. "We should be fine. Arthur is normally free during this time of the day for private audiences and should be able to welcome us back to Camelot."

"You should probably ask one of the castle guards to be sure," Freya suggested.

Merlin nodded in agreement. "And to send an audience request to him and Queen Guinevere." Merlin shook his head in slight disbelief. "It is hard to believe that he is already married. He barely knew her when I left Camelot."

"And you didn't even know I existed at that time. And yet here you are, married and with a child of your own."

"I guess it is not all that surprising when you look at it that way," Merlin mused.

They reached the guarded entrance to the citadel, cutting off any further comments.

It didn't take long for Merlin to get an audience with King Arthur, though Queen Guinevere was apparently occupied with other matters of importance. Merlin decided to ask about what those matters were later since it was obvious that the messenger was ignorant of what they were. An older stable hand, not the same one he had almost run over years ago, took Edelene's reigns from him with a promise that a servant would be there soon to collect their things and take them to Merlin's chambers.

After declining an offer to direct them to the throne room, Merlin and Freya went to present themselves before the king. Freya had to take Balinor off her back as they walked down the halls. He kept shifting to look at the people who were constantly hurrying from one duty to the next. The last time he squirmed so much, Freya and Merlin had to stop before he slipped out of his cloth carrier. His constant shifting had caused the fabric holding him in place to move a little too much. Freya decided that since they were already in Camelot and about to have their audience with King Arthur, it would be easier to just carry him in her arms.

To Merlin, the throne room looked just at it had before he left with the only addition being that of the Queen's throne situated just left of King Arthur's throne. King Arthur sat upon his throne, looking every inch the regal king that he was with a thin band of gold signifying his royal status. Merlin, with Freya just a step behind him approached the throne. When Merlin reached a respectable distance, he bowed.

"King Arthur," he said respectfully, almost monotone.

"Merlin," King Arthur return in the same tone.

The two just stare at each other, silent, until Merlin's face cracked into a smile. This in turn caused King Arthur to smile. Soon, they were both laughing. Arthur rose from his throne and approached Merlin to give him a firm embrace and a friendly slap on the back, grateful for Merlin's safe return to Camelot.

"It's been too long, my friend!" Arthur exclaimed. "How are you?"

"As good as ever," Merlin responded.

"Good! You have finished your studies already? I thought it took longer to study magic. You've barely been gone two years!"

"Three years actually, and my innate magic and the experience I gained during our campaign helped accelerate my learning. But enough about me, I wish to introduce you to some people." Merlin motioned for Freya with Balinor in her arms to stand next to him. "May I introduce you to my wife, Freya, and our son, Balinor."

"Wife? Son?" Arthur asked, incredulous. Disbelief quickly shifted to realization. "Merlin, did you get married and not invite me to your wedding?! Not only that, but you even had a child?! After everything I've done for you this is how you repay me, by leaving me out of some of my best friend's major moments in life?!" Arthur exclaimed in a slightly joking manner, though he was somewhat hurt that he didn't even hear about Merlin's wedding.

Despite Arthur's joking tone, Merlin could see how much his actions had affected his friend.

"I am sorry, Arthur. We wanted it to be a private affair. There were a few of Master Iseldir's pupils who were prejudiced towards Freya and I because of our mixed heritage. How they figured that I don't know, but if I find whoever found out and started persecu-" Merlin cut himself off before he let his temper rage too hotly.

Arthur's eyes widened slightly at his friend's anger. Merlin hardly became angry. Not even the death of his father had riled Merlin enough to anger him at the mere mention of the event like this situation did.

"I feel sorry for the poor fools who incurred that dragon temper of yours. It takes quite a bit to provoke you."

Merlin faced his friend again, a rueful smirk tugging at his lips.

"I didn't shock anyone if that's what you're implying. They respected Master Iseldir too much to do anything more than a few mild rumors and muttered insults. Even then, none of us wanted to risk any contention arising because of our union." Merlin's voice gained a pleading tone. "I promise I would have invited you, but I didn't want you to feel obliged to leave Camelot just to witness the ceremony so soon after your coronation as King of Camelot. Besides!" Merlin exclaimed, indignation coloring his voice. "You married Queen Guinevere not even a year ago and I didn't receive an invitation. You're hardly one to talk."

"You said that your studies couldn't be interrupted for anything," Arthur deadpanned with his arms crossed, "and the kingdom of Camelot needed a queen soon to further solidify its position with the neighboring kingdoms. I could not wait any longer, not with most of the council breathing down my neck to find a wife."

Both paused for a moment, just staring at each other before Arthur sighed, briefly breaking eye contact.

"I can't be mad at you Merlin. Your logic and wisdom are sound..."

"You got that right."

Arthur continued as if he hadn't been interrupted"… and honestly both of us were slightly in the wrong on both accounts…"

"I guess that's true," Merlin muttered with arms crossed and a thoughtful look on his face.

"… and if we had only counseled with one another before making our decisions this whole thing would not have happened…"

"You've got a point there," Merlin nodded in reluctant acceptance.

"… which is why I am naming you as my Royal Advisor."

"Yes, I kno… wait what?! Royal Advisor!?" Merlin's head shot up when he processed what Arthur had actually said. "Arthur, I thought I was only going to be your Court Sorcerer!"

"You may have thought that Merlin, but I had always planned to have you be my Royal Advisor. You were my closest confident when we went to claim back Camelot. Without your guidance, many more would have needlessly suffered in battle. And, as Royal Advisor, you have the authority to advise, participate in, and oversee everything, including the tasks given to the Court Sorcerer, as you deem necessary. It's a win-win situation for the both of us!"

"I guess," Merlin grudgingly agreed.

Arthur smirked in triumph and amusement.

"Lord Merlin Emrys has a nice ring to it, don't you agree Merlin?"

Merlin groaned, placing his hand on his forehead

"Must you give me another title? Royal Advisor is enough already."

"In case you missed it, Merlin, this is not another title I am giving you. It is a family name. As a lord of Camelot, it is only proper that you have one even if you rarely use it."

"Yes, but must it be Emrys?" Merlin all but whined.

"I felt it fitting as that is the name..." Arthur trailed off, eyes briefly flickering towards Freya who had been making a valiant effort to not laugh at the bantering between the two. Merlin noticed his friend's shifted gaze.

"It's alright Arthur. I already told Freya about what transpired at Lake Avalon."

"Good. As I was saying, I felt it fitting to have your family name be the name given to you by King Olórin."

Merlin shrugged in reluctant acceptance. Freya, sensing her husband's hesitancy at accepting the name, walked up to Merlin and placed her free hand on Merlin's shoulder before addressing King Arthur.

"It is a good name, my lord. I thank you for this honor you have given us."

"It is my pleasure to give Merlin the recognition he deserves," Arthur replied. "And Arthur is just fine. You are the wife of my brother in all but blood, my family. There is no need for titles between family."

Freya was stunned at King Arthur's request. It was unheard of! Then again, Arthur had grown up as a farmer. Perhaps his request wasn't so strange after all.

Balinor's cry pulled Freya back to reality. She stepped back a few steps and began rocking him to calm him down, though she knew that he wouldn't stay quiet for long. That was definitely Balinor's 'I need to be fed' cry.

"Sounds like somebody else is restless," Arthur mused. Seeing that Freya was focused on the baby, Arthur turned towards Merlin.

"Come. I will show you to your chambers. Although…" Arthur trailed off as he peered back at Freya and Balinor, "I guess the chambers I had set aside for you are no longer suitable for your needs. I'll have one of the family wings prepared within a week's time for you and your family to move into."

Without giving Merlin an opportunity to respond, King Arthur left the throne room knowing that Merlin and his family would follow him soon after.

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Constructive criticism and reviews are welcomed.


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